blog posts Was this a coup attempt? Here’s some history and context to help you decide Jan 7, 2021 1:30 pm by PoliticFactIllinois in the News Share on Facebook Tweet Email Images PolitiFact (Jan. 6) 'We define a coup d’etat as the sudden and irregular (i.e., illegal or extra-legal) removal, or displacement, of the executive authority of an independent government,' wrote the Coup D’etat Project at Illinois. Share on Facebook Tweet Email